Silverware Homemade Suet Feeder

Offer birds some suet in a unique homemade bird feeder made from recycled silverware.

By Lisa Hilderbrand

Your backyard birds deserve a fine dining experience, so serve up their suet in this elegant yet functional homemade bird feeder. Old silverware holds the suet in place for a whimsical way to feed your birds. It takes only a little while to assemble this homemade suet feeder, and you can be sure no one else on the block will have one just like it!

Materials:

Weathered board, 2 ft. long and at least 9 in. wide

Silver-plated flatware, five pieces

Hinge

Wire, 18 in. long, 20-gauge

Screws, assorted sizes to fit hinge holes and drilled silverware

Drill bits

Scrap piece of two-by-four

Drill press or hand drill

Nail

Rubber mallet

Screwdriver

Wire cutter

Pliers

Safety goggles

Gloves

Wrapped suet cake

Step-By-Step Instructions:

Step 1

Pound silverware as flat as you can with a rubber mallet. The more rustic it looks, the better!

Step 2

Use the nail to make divots in handles of the silverware to keep the drill bit from skipping. With safety goggles on, drill holes with drill press or hand drill, keeping drill bit perpendicular to silverware.

Step 3

To make the first bend, place one piece of silverware, decorative side up, on a sturdy surface. Place two-by-four on top of the handle, and bend the silverware up at a 90-degree angle. Wear gloves if you like, and repeat with remaining silverware.

To determine where silverware should go, place a wrapped suet cake on the weathered board; mark with a pencil. Place silverware on the board to hold suet, and attach with screws.

Step 4

Make the second bend by placing the two-by-four flush with each piece of silverware and bending the silverware over the two-by-four. Refer to photo, and use the rubber mallet to help, if necessary.

Step 5

Attach a hinge to the back of the board. The tubular part of the hinge should be just above the edge. String wire through the center of the hinge and curl it with pliers to make decorative loops for hanging.

Remove the wrapper from a store-bought suet cake, but leave it in the plastic tray. Insert into the feeder.

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